A Journalism degree – it’s all about research

Search Strategies in Mass Communication

A book from a class that was foundational in my academic career

I was fortunate enough to attend a capstone competition for an advertising class here at the J School (which I attend). The outcome of their hard work (as well as that of their instructor and some support staff) was truly remarkable.

It reminded me of something long forgot about a degree in journalism. No matter what the emphasis –news, advertising, PR, or academic– research skills rank high the core skill set. While it may not be academic, market research skills are just as valuable and just as tough to develop.

I am reminded of my own undergrad “search strategies” class, and really made me long for the classroom.

Addendum: OK, it’s not all about research.


Crowdsourcing tech law

A few days ago, the tech advocacy group Public Knowledge unveiled a website (The Internet Blueprint) where the public can propose bills, vote on other users’ submissions, and where groups and congresspeople/senators can get behind the proposal. It’s actually pretty close to the model that I suggested for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, some time back. The


Innovation and the Public University

This weekend, the Times chronicled the role that Bell Labs played in technical innovation (Innovation and the Bell Labs Miracle – NYTimes.com). While the author compared Bell’s slow, planned innovation to the more rapid Silicon Valley model, I can think of at least two important components missing in the story. To me, the role of


How Twitter Killed my Blog

Twitter is an amazing technology. The ease with which one can share ideas, resources, and network with people you otherwise might not have met is (I think) unparalleled. As with any new technology, however, it has come with a cost — it has nearly killed my blog. For some time, I used my blog as